Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday ordered the
attorney general to investigate an attempt by a senior Hamas
official to smuggle large sums of euro from Egypt into the Gaza
Strip.
"President Abbas ordered the attorney general to open an
investigation and question Sami Abu Zurhi on where this money came
from," said a source in Abbas' office in the West Bank town of
Ramallah.
Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, was caught trying to smuggle
639,000 euros (about US$817,000) at the Rafah border crossing
between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. The money was confiscated by the
Palestinian customs authorities.
Abu Zuhri told the Al-Jazeera Arabic news channel that the money
was donated privately by individuals he met during a tour of Arab
nations.
But he did not declare the money and tried to smuggle it, said
spokesman for the EU monitors supervising the
Palestinian-controlled crossing.
The spokesman said travelers crossing through Rafah must declare
all sums over US$2,000 and explain its origin.
The Hamas-led Palestinian government has been cash-strapped
since it took office in late March as the US and the EU cut off
badly needed aid to punish Hamas for its refusal to renounce
violence, recognize Israel's right to exist and accept previous
peace accords.
(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2006)
